$5895 for RX4
 

Just scoping out CSC's site and noticed that they have posted a price for the RX4 - $5895. So $6300 after Assembly and Documentaion fees are added in.

No mention of the bikes specs at that price, so it is hard to say one way or another how good of a deal a buyer would be getting. The base price is $400 more than a non-ABS Versys - X300, which comes with nothing apart from the bike - no luggage, 12v/USB ports or crash bars. Plus 150 cc's lower displacement, engine wise. Then dealer fees.

I don't know, I guess I need to see the full specs before I decide anything.

450cc engine 43.5 HP

Less Weight, Better Acceleration
 

$5895 is $100 more than the Versys-X 300 with ABS.
I can buy a Versys-X 300 for the MSRP $5795 price plus sales tax and license registration fee. NO freight, NO assembly charges.
Plus the Versys-X weighs less and has less pounds per horsepower than the RX4.
The Versys probably can “smoke” the RX4 in the quarter mile acceleration time.
(Versys-X, 386 lbs. 39 horsepower) (RX4, 450 lbs., 44 horsepower)
Less weigh is always better for off road use, in my opinion.
(I also checked out the Zongshen selling price, and it is much, much cheaper thanks CSC’s)

No freight & no assembly fee for a Versys? Maybe if you buy it in Japan partly assembled from the factory. There will be WAY more fees from a Japanese dealer then from CSC. Japanese fees typically add $500 to $1000 to the advertised price. Kawi, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda all charge freight. The freight charge is from Japan to the dealership. CSC freight is from the dealership to your door if you choose to have it shipped, not from China to CSC. That freight is already included in the CSC price.

Before buying the RX3, I was looking at some of the small Japanese bikes under $4k. Every single one of them had at LEAST $1k in dealer fees. I asked several dealers in various states, including a friend who runs a dealership in CO. He said they just can't make money on them, and even the highest friend discount was going to put me about $500 above MSRP out the door.

One dealer quoted nearly $2k in fees, though the bike was advertised a couple hundred below MSRP. It's all a game.

It bugs me when one dealer, CSC is honest and transparent with fees and people bash them for being more expensive without having any clue about the real hidden fees that EVERY other dealership has. Plus the Versys is a street bike that only looks like an adventure bike. It would cost propably $1000 - $2000 to upgrade the Versys so it could do what the RX4 is capable of stock. Then you still need to add another $500-$1000 for racks & luggage. Apples to apples the RX4 will beat the competition or CSC wouldn't be importing it.

On the weight comment, It can be a bit of a math quiz. Kawi weight is for the bare bike wet weight. When I got my RX3 the claimed weight was 385 lbs dry. I then did a bunch of math about the wet weight, my added farkles and then went to a certified scale and weighed it.

Claimed dry weight is 385 pounds
1.7 quarts of oil is 7.2 pounds per gallon = 3.06 pounds
3.7 gallons of gas is 6.073 pounds per gallon = 22.47 pounds
67.6 ounces of coolant is 6.5 pounds per gallon = 3.47 pounds
3.06+22.47+3.47=29.0 lb of liquids
Wet would be = 414 pounds. That must include the OEM skid plate, crash bars, luggage racks and plastic luggage since mine was 420 with the farkles.

Weighed Items-
Grab Rail: 5 lb
Rack Plate: 3 lb
Rear Luggage Carrier assembly: 8 lb
Updated CSC Skid Plate: 3 lb
Passenger Foot Pegs (2): 2.25 lb
Engine Guards: 12 lb
Billet Guards - 4 lb
Spot Lights - 1 lb
Spot and Phone Mount - 1 lb
Electronics - 1 lb
Agi-Tubes = 3 lb
Tourfella Luggage = 12.5+12.5+12.6=37.6 lb
5+3+8+3+2.25+12+4+1+1+1++3+37.6=80.85 lb in total farkles

Totals-
Wet Weight of my bike with all farkles = 420 lb
Dry Weight of my bike with all farkles = 420-29=391 lb
Naked Dry weight = 420-29-80.85=310.15 lb
Naked Wet Weight = 310.15+29=339.15 lb

So what I'm seeing from my RX3 math and if they do it the same for the RX4 is that the 450 pound weight is going to be dry weight so it will be more like 480 wet BUT that includes a bunch of the things you'd probably add onto the Versys like luggage racks, luggage, crash bars, etc.

@1cylinderwonder
 

What color is the sky in your world and when did Adventure bikes start drag racing?:lmao::p

My CB500X weighs 430lbs wet (same as a KLR650) but that doesn't include the approximately 30-40lbs of guards, racks & luggage the CSC comes with stock. I bet my soft dry bags and homemade rack only add 15lbs but I don't have an engine guard. So RX4 is maybe 20lbs heavier for a similar equipped CB500X but probably a fair bit more capable off-road. Maybe only 10lbs heavier then a Rally Raid CB500X. The RX4 is still a lot cheaper then a RR CB500X which has been called a modern day KLR. I'd be interested too see a RR CB500X vs RX4 comparison. Or RR Versys 300, RR CB500X & RX4 three way shootout

I cannot speak to what you can get a Versys-x 300 for or the results of a 1/4 mile acceleration test, but in the case of the RX4's price, I'm pretty sure that the ongoing trade war with China has been factored into the price. I, too, have seen chinese RX4 prices a few hundred dollars less after converted to US dollars. But, that price is without taking into consideration CSC's overhead for federal EPA and CARB emissions certification costs and import tariffs on chinese goods.

I'm basing my speculation about import tariffs affecting CSC's price on a tidbit from Joe Berk, who put up a post on his Exhaust Notes blog about Baja John buying a TT250 for his house in Mexico. In it, he mentioned that Steve Seidner at CSC told Baja John it would be better to buy the bike now rather than wait till later in the year, due to the fact that prices were going up for the next shipment of bikes due to tariffs. So, to a certain extent, it is out of CSC's hands. They are a business and need to turn a profit to stay in business. I do not begrudge them that, though like everyone else in the world, I would love to get something for nothing, or next to nothing.;)

Regarding the RX4's weight, I agree that less is more when taking it off road. Hence my preference for the RX3S and its 380 cc parallel twin, which CSC decided not to bring in due to ergonomic problems. Although, based off of statements from CSC's blog, we may yet see a bike with the 380 cc twin engine in the future. Here's hoping a re-worked RX3 or similar sized bike makes an appearance in the not too distant future.

I only have $6000 in my farkled CB500X that I bought new. I can't see giving that kind of money for an unproven Chinese bike.

Lighter is Better
 

I’m not interested in the fully loaded RX4. I’m more in the Scrambler model mode. I don’t want crashbars, hard saddlebags, hard top box, 12volt socket plug, USB ports, heated grips, cellphone bracket, etc. (an over-loaded, too heavy motorcycle) I’m not traveling coast to coast.
I want a light weight, lightly equipped, easily controlled, and easy to pick up if I’m dumped in the off road, non-paved, non-traveled territory. I want to explore interesting areas.
So the fully accessorized RX4 is not my bike. I don’t want to pay for a bike I then have to strip down to my specs! So to me the now listed price is too expensive.

Answers for Slow Learners
 

The color of the sky in my world is beautiful blue!
And when do Adventure bikes drag race? It’s when the last rider to the end of the quarter mile has to buy breakfast or lunch for everyone who arrives before him or her! :thanks:

I Agree 100%
 

Exactly!

What about the required RX4 maintenance?
Frequency of valve adjustments, oil changes, does the RX4 have a”real oil filter?”
How about the longevity of the “NEW” motor?
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!

The real test will be when Everide on his YouTube channel tries to ride it like a CRF450R and states it doesn't stack up to that off-road bike so goes on and on bashing it. Right after his video of him fawning over the Royal Enfield in his 'non-bias' test...

Well then get out your credit card, call CSC and order a TT250 or San Gabriel if your the scrambler type. Maintenance is dead simple: keep oil in the crankcase and gas in the tank and it will probably last longer than you will. Their engine is a Honda CG clone with the addition of a balance shaft, so smoother than any CG Honda ever produced. No oil filter, paper element air filter, adjust the valves whenever they need it or every day if you want (takes 15 minutes, literally). If you break anything, CSC has everything parts-wise in stock and priced more than affordably. My TT250 is a hoot and complements my RX3 perfectly.

Now if a 230cc engine is too small and you must have a lightweight 450, then Honda will be happy to sell you one. They'll even strip off all the extra crap that you don't want to pay for and only charge you an extra $5000 above and beyond what CSC is asking for the RX4.

No sense in berating the RX4 for not being a lightweight scrambler when it is not intended for that use nor marketed as such. Basically, it's a RX3 on steroids (more power, better brakes) - good for touring, gravel and fire roads and light off road work (although I have no doubt that someone will take it on the most God forsaken trail that they can find - and it will make it through, and then complain that it is not as good as a KTM 350 or 500 EXC, lol).:doh:

If this was four years ago, I might agree with you. However, it's not and I don't. Having owned a 2015 RX3 for the last three years and a TT250 for two, and not having a problem out of either, I think that the bikes, CSC and Zongshen have proven their bonafides. Like it or not, Chinese bikes are more than good enough to compete with Japanese and European low and mid-range motorcycles. I'll concede that they still have quite a ways to go for top end stuff, though.

As to being unproven, the RX4 has undergone the same testing that the RX1, RX3 and RX3S did and more (Zongshen used the NC450 in their Dakar bike); if there were any problems, I am confident that they were found and corrected. If something does crop up, I do not have any doubts in CSC's and Zongshen's ability and willingness to make it right. I also feel comfortable with their ability to support the bike with parts and service, if and when needed; having personally experienced it over the last three years with the two bikes that I already own.

Based on what CSC has said so far spec-wise, it's competitive with or bests anything similar on the market that you can buy right now, that being your CB500X, RE Himalayan and the Versy-X 300. It includes more farkles as standard equipment than any of those bikes while being priced similarly to their base models. It will be interesting to see what the Versys-X 400 brings to the table when it drops, but Kawasaki is probably 2 years behind Zongshen (again) on that bike. KTM's 390 Adventure will be interesting, too, but once again, it's not here (I've seen a tentative release date for December 2019, but that is for the Indian market) while the RX4 is or soon will be.

I’m eagerly waiting to see performance comparisons
 

Of the 2019 CSC RX4 and the 2019 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 motorcycles.
The Zero to 60mph time for the Versys-X 300 is 5.2 seconds.
The Top Speed for the Versys-X 300 is 102 mph.
Please post the same information for the Zongshen, CSC RX4 when it is known.
This should be interesting: :hehe:

I just SOLD my Honda CB500X; My third motorcycle sale this year!

Isn’t there a special forum for Versys drag racers ? No need to come here just to bash and giggle like a schoolgirl ,it’s already been pointed out to you that the bikes are not designed for racing ,and if you are worried about having to buy lunch you certainly can’t afford to be racing anything anyway .
And what’s the point of pointing out you have just sold your third motorcycle this year ?if it’s another competition count me in ,I sold off 34 in August and the first week of September .Big Whoop !

I have no clue as to the 0-60 RX4 times, but the maximum speed is listed as 97 MPH from CSC's blog entry comparing it to their range of other bikes. So, like I said earlier, it's competitive with the other bikes in its class. Not best in class, but not getting blown away either, while still offering a ton of equipment that costs extra on competitor's bikes. Yes, it will definitely be interesting to see how it stacks up in the flesh. With luck, it breezes thru emissions certification, the trade rhetoric between the US and China goes down a couple notches and we have a new ADV to praise / criticize in early 2019.

Out of curiosity, why are you selling your bikes?

When are you going to sell the remaining 16 motorcycles? Isn’t it still a little over-crowded in your storage sheds? :lmao: :p :shrug:
And little Noise!

It’s nice to be able to get to the area you want to explore in a timely manner!
:hi: :crazy:
Once you’re there SPEED doesn’t matter! :yay:

I wasn’t going to sell any of them ,but I did because I didn’t want to move them .I only have 6 left yet I have an acre for storage now so plenty of room for hundreds at the moment .Your point ?

My local dealer got an RX4 yesterday - Ya'll wanna come n look see with me?

Wish I could, especially if China has a few single, slender, intelligent, polite women who know how to cook and ride. Don't any of those teenage Chinese girls for sale have single moms?

Definitely!

I hope CSC offers a lowering link just in case I need it.

Do you have an RX3? Have you seen my work on the RX3S single seat tht is lower maybe 20mm? if you do this MAY help you if you where born with bum closer to the ground to most people lol.

I am kidding but serious as well.

The RX3S low seat is a bunch of work but it might just be what you need, even could trim it lower or a little higher with a lot of work.

Another CSC Advantage
 

I have no doubt that they will make one available, probably from day one if the RX3 launch is any indicator. One of the many good points in regards to CSC versus your standard dealer is that they also have a proven track record as a motorcycle and motorcycle accessory manufacturer. They have the ability to provide all of the accessories that other aftermarket manufacturers are unwilling or unable to provide for the bikes that CSC imports.

Sorry mate I don't have an RX3. I was referring to a lowering link made available for the RX4. If there is a lower profile seat for the RX4 I while probably go that route first so as to leave the suspension alone. I will definitely do business with you if I get the RX4. Damn shame there isn't a demand for TT250 after market parts. I would like to put a small windscreen on it.

I had a feeling it would be close to $6K.

When one considers the specification of the bike - Alloy rims, stainless header etc this is possibly the most high-end offering we've seen from Zongshen on the US shores.

The $6K price tag is still very competitive; you're not going to find any ready-to-go Japanese bikes in that price range.

As for the Versys X-300, if that bike works for you then I don't know what the point of a comparison is; just buy it.

Working ZS, where did you see the price listed on the CSC site ? I couldn’t find it.

Find It Here
 

From the CSC home page, scroll down and click on "NEW MODELS", it's the first model listed when that page pops up. Just checked it again and it is still showing up on my end. The "Info" tab on the RX4 page says under construction, so nothing but the price appears to have been decided for sure. And even that may just be a preliminary placeholder, so I guess we will have to just wait until when CSC makes the official announcement on the bikes availability - probably another 3-4 months if I had to guess, for the final configuration and the definite price. Here is the page:

https://www.cscmotorcycles.com/defau...=xNewInventory

Thanks.

The TT250 Hawk 250 and all those are not sold in China as they are too cheap and quality is ...............
Only the Honda XLR150 or what ever the exact model it.

I had 1 of these in China and i couldn't find body parts but mechanical was OK to find mostly - real pain in the butt.

Low spec bikes low spec motors etc and takes me a long time to find out stuff and could be wrong resulting in bad service and no income so you kinda see why I do not bother. (I also don't have a test bike but do have an RX3 test bike)

It will be very interesting to see if the RX4 passes the Joe Berk smell test.

http://exhaustnotes.us/blog/index.ph...10/23/the-rx4/

BTW, some good stuff on the Berk & Gresh exhaust notes blog.

Rojo

This is going to be fun to watch. Long anticipated. I think a loaded 450 bike for the price isn't bad at all. I'm sure there will be some bugs to work out but I'm also sure that CSC will stand behind whatever pops up, as they always do.

I thought the RX3 was well loaded, but have spent a small fortune on more farkles. Nothing from Japan for twice the price has half the goodies. Just don't get caught in the aerodynamic disaster of a truck running 130mph or so 4 feet away.

Fun indeed. The RX4 price point for a new, loaded, warrantied bike is still a good value. Is there enough performance and value to kick my RX3 to the curb, probably not.

Also, in my neck of the woods you get a fairly late model (2012 - 2014), lower mileage (~6k to~8K), decently farkled (luggage, skid plate, tall windshield, etc.) V-Strom or Versys 650 at the same price point. Yes, they are 50+/-#'s heavier but have ~20 more hp. They are also more or less just as off road worthy with the proper tires. In my view this is where the RX4 will get its stiffest competition from the price, performance, and value perspective.

Rojo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGfnpwdyMOs


0-62 6.4

First installment of the Joe Berk RX4 evaluation. So far so go.

http://exhaustnotes.us/blog/index.ph...t-impressions/